Rocker arm joint for looms



Dec. 8, 1964 Filed Jan. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 E. KENK 3,160,179

ROCKER ARM JOINT FOR LOOMS v Filed Jan. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E hard M 1 7 ddadfif hk ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,160,179 RQQKER ARM JOINT F032. LOQMS Erhard Kenk, Vaihingen (Enz), Nerd, Germany Filed Dian. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 16?,635 Claims priority, application Germany, .Ian. 25, 1961, K 42,724; Nov. 22, 1961, K 45,259 16 Claims. (Cl. 139-451) The present invention relates to a rocker arm joint for a loom, and more particularly to a rocker arm joint of the type in which the hinge pin of the rocker arm is connected to the lug stick by a short yoke which is held on the lug stick by a connecting means, such as a bolt passing through aligned bores in the legs of the yoke and in the end portion of the lug stick. The rocker arm joint transmits force from the reciprocating rocker arm to the lug stick which is connected by the yokeshaped lug strap to the picker stick of the loom.

In known rocker arm joints, the transverse connecting bolt transmits all forces, and when the .parts are worn, an undesired play develops.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage of known rocker arm joints, and to provide a rocker arm joint to which the forces are positively and directly transmitted from the yoke to the lug stick.

Another object of the present invention is to provide on the yoke and on the lug stick, abutting shoulders capable of transmitting at least a part of the tensile forces acting on the rocker arm joint, whereby the conventional connecting means, for example a threaded .bolt, is relieved.

With these objects in view, the present invention relates to a rocker arm joint for a loom, comprising a rocker arm having a hinge pin and being turnable for reciprocating the hinge pin, a yoke member, a lug stick member forming with the yoke member a bearing for the hinge pin, and connecting means, such as a connecting bolt passing through aligned bores in the legs of the yoke and in the end portion of the lug stick mern ber which is located between the legs of the yoke memher.

In accordance with the present invention, at least one of the members has a shoulder extending transverse to the direction of reciprocation of the hinge pin, and abuts a corresponding shoulder of a locking element which is either connected, or integral with the other member. As a result, the yoke member and the lug stick member cannot be displaced relative to each other by the forces exerted by the hinge pin during rocking movement of the rocker arm.

The shoulder, or shoulders, of the lug stick member are preferably bounding walls of recesses provided in the lug stick member. However, corresponding recesses may also be provided in the legs of the yoke member, and in this event a detachable locking pin is inserted into each cavity formed by corresponding confronting recesses in the yoke and lug stick. Locking pins according to the invention may be of cylindrical or prismatic shape, and may be penetrated by the connecting bolt. In one embodiment of the invention, the recesses in the yoke and in the lug strap are closed at the ends, so that each locking pin is completely confined in the respective cavity.

The shoulders are either curved or planar, and the planar shoulders may be perpendicular to the contacting surfaces of the yoke and lug stick, or inclined to the same at an acute angle 0t form a connection resembling a dove-tail.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, illustrating a rocker arm joint, and the connection between the lug stick means and the picker stick;

FIGS. 2-5 are fragmentary side views, partly in section, showing different embodiments of rocker arm joints according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded side view showing parts of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a locking pin used in the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view illustrating a modified rocker arm joint incorporating a locking pin of the type shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, and illustrating a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, illustrating another embodiment of the invention incore porating a prismatic locking element; and.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a prismatic lockin element used in the embodiment of FIG. 10. v

' 1y to FIG. 1, a rocker arm 1 has a forked end in which a hinge pin 2 is mounted. A lug stick 6 has an end portion located between the legs of a yoke 3. The concave end faceof lug stick 6 and the concave inner surface of the yoke portion of yoke 3 form a bearing for the hinge pin, 2. The legs of yoke 3 have thicker end portions 12 which are provided with bores aligned with a bore passing through the end portion of the lug stick 6. A bolt 4 passes through the aligned bores, and a nut 5 on bolt 4 tightens the yoke on the end portion of lug strap 6 so that surfaces on opposite sides of the end portion of lug strap 6 are in contact with corresponding inner surfaces on the legs of yoke 3. The end portion of lug stick 6 has recesses 13 so that shoulders 12' are formed which abut corresponding shoulders formed on the thicker end portions 12 of the legs of the yoke 3.

A longer yoke or lug strap '7 forming part of the lug stick means is mounted on the other end of lug stick 6 and is secured to the same by bolts 8. Since yoke '7 has slots through which bolt 8 passes, the length of the lug stick means is adjustable. Lug strap embraces the picker stick 9 which has at the end thereof a projection It While in conventional rocker arm joints, all forces are transmitted by the connecting bolts, the shoulders 12 of the present invention, which extend transverse to the direction of movement of hinge pin 2, transmit tensile forces from the yoke 3 to the lug stick means so that the connecting bolt 4 is relieved of these forces.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, shoulders 12' extend substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal surfaces along which yoke 3 and lug stick 6 are in contact. Shoulders 12' are bounded by parallel edges 12a and 1217. In the modified embodiment of FIG. 5, the lug stick 6 is formed with recesses 15 which are bounded by shoulders 14 extending at an acute angle to the bottom surfaces of the recesses 15. Shoulders 14' are bounded by parallel edges 14a and 14b. The thicker end portions 14 of the legs of yoke 3, have corresponding shoulders abutting shoulders 14 and being slanted in the same manner so that a connection resembling a dove-tail is obtained.

The abutting shoulders or faces 12' or 14' have parallel edges and are shaped so that a plane passing through the edges defines with the respective longitudinal contacting surface of lug stick 6 or yoke 3 an angle of 90 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 and of less than 90 in the embodiment of FIG. so that no outward force :omponents are produced.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the end portion )f the lug stick 6 has elongated recesses of semi-circular :ross section on opposite sides thereof, and the legs of oke 3 have inner projections 16 of semi-circular cross ;ection matching recesses 17 and being located in the ;ame. The projections and recesses are bounded by abut- ;ing shoulders which transmit the forces exerted by hinge pin 2 on yoke 3 to the lug stick 6.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, projection 16 and re- :esses 17 are aligned and penetrated by the bolt 4. In he modified embodiment of FIG. 3, the projections 16 )f the two legs of yoke 3 are located on opposite sides )f bolt 4. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, pairs of proections 16 are provided on each leg of yoke 3, and are ocated on opposite sides of the bolt 4.

The lug stick 6 may be made of wood or of a synhetic material, and the yoke 3 is made of metal, or of I. synthetic material. FIGS. 2 to 4 show projections 16 arovided on the yoke 3, but particularly in the event that 'oke 3 is made of a synthetic material, corresponding ecesses can be provided in the legs of yoke 3, and lug tick 6 can be formed with corresponding projections.

In the illustrated embodiments, the projections and ecesses extend transversely across the entire length of he lug stick 6 and of the yoke 3, but it is also possible 0 provide several shorter aligned projections, which may lave part spherical or saw tooth shape.

FIGS. 6 to 11 illustrate modified embodiments of the nvention in which the yoke 3 as well as the lug stick 6 re provided with recesses bounded by shoulders extendag transverse to the direction of movement of the hinge in. A locking element, for example a cylindrical lockng pin 18 as shown in FIG. 7, or a prismatic locking lement 20 as shown in FIG. 11 may be used as part of he lug stick means. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the :gs of yoke 3 are provided with recesses of semi-circurr cross sections located on opposite sides of the bolt 4. .ug stick 6 has corresponding recesses of semi-circular ross section which register with the recesses in the yoke and form with the same cylindrical cavities in which 1e locking pins 18 are inserted. Locking pins 18 translit the forces exerted by the hinge pin 2 on yoke 3 dur- 1g movement to the left as viewed in FIG. 8 so that the olt 4 is relieved.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 is similar to the embodirent of FIG. 8, but recesses 17a in the yoke 3 are disosed on the same side of the bores in which the bolt 4 mounted, and the recesses 17b in the lug stick 6 are rranged in a corresponding position. a

The emebodimen-t of FIG. 9 is a modification of either 1e embodiment of FIG. 6, or the embodiment of FIG.

In the modification of FIG. 9, the recesses 17a, and 1e recesses 17b, are closed at the ends so that closed ivities are formed. The locking pin 19 is shorter'than 1e transverse extension of the legs of yoke 3 and of lug if. stick 6, so that the locking pins 19 are completely enclosed in the closed cavities formed by the recesses, and cannot fall out.

The embodiment of FIG. 10 provides aligned recesses 170 in the legs of yoke 3, and aligned recesses 17d in the lug stick 6. The recesses are of rectangular shape,

' and form prismatic cavities in which prismatic locking elements 20, as shown in FIG. 11, are located. The locking plates 20 have bores 21 through which bolt 4 passes, so that the locking plates 20 cannot drop out. The recesses may be modified to have trapezoidal shape instead of rectangular shape, in which event dove-tail shoulders are provided on the locking element. It is of course understood that locking elements 20 may also be of a length less than the width of lug stick 6 and adapted to fit into slots with closed ends as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 9.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of rocker arm joints differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a rocker arm joint in'which the yoke and lug stick have transverse abutting shoulders for transmitting tensile forces acting on the joint, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge'pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contactingsurfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said lug stick means, said yokemeans and lug stick means having faces transverse to said longitudinal direction and abutting each other, said abutting faces having parallel edges and being shaped so that a plane passing through said edges defines with the respective contacting surfaces an angle not exceeding so that relative displacement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented; and a connecting member for pressing said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other.

2. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contacting surfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said lug stick means, said yoke means and lug stick means having planar faces transverse to said longitudinal direction and abutting each other, said transverse abutting faces defining, at least partly, with said contacting surfaces, respectively, an angle not greater than 90 so that relative displacement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented and so that no transverse components of said forces act in outward directions on said legs; and a connecting member including a connecting bolt passing through said legs and through said lug stick means for pressing said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other whereby longitudinal forces are transmitted by said planar abutting faces and no shearing forces act on said bolt.

3. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contacting surfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said lug stick means, one of said means including a main part formed with at least one recess having planar faces transverse to said longitudinal direction, and a look ing element located in said recess abutting said faces so as to be locked against longitudinal movement, said locking element having a portion projecting from said recess and having transverse faces, and the other of said means being formed with at least one other recess having transverse faces, said projecting portion of said locking element being located in said other recess with said transverse faces abutting each other, said abutting faces having parallel edges and being shaped so that a plane passing through said edges defines with the respective contacting surfaces an angle not exceeding 90 so that relative dis placement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented; and a connecting member for pressing said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other.

4. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 2 wherein said contacting surfaces and said faces extend perpendicw larly to each other.

5. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 2 wherein said transverse faces extend at an acute angle to said contacting surfaces.

6. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 3 wherein said locking element is a locking pin of prismatic shape having planar faces extending at right angles to each other.

7. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 3 wherein said recesses are closed at the ends thereof and form a cavity and wherein said locking element is shorter than said recesses and fully enclosed in saidcavity.

8. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means havingcontacting surfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said lug stick means, said yoke means and lug stick means having integral faces transverse to said longitudinal direction and abutting each other, said abutting faces having parallel edges and being shaped so that a plane passing through said edges defines with the respective contacting surfaces an anglenot exceeding 96 so that relative displacement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented; and a connecting member for pressing said legs of said yoke'means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other.

9. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contacting surfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction transverse abutting faces defining, at least partly, with said contacting surfaces, respectively, an angle not greater than 90 so that relative displacement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented and so that no transverse components of said forces act in outward directions on said legs; and a connecting member for pressing said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other.

10. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contacting surfaces extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said lug stick means, saidlegs of said yoke means having inner projections, and said lug stick means having recesses on opposite sides thereof receiving said projections, said projections and recesses having planar faces transverse to said longitudinal direction and abutting each other, said transverse abutting faces defining, at least partly, with said contacting surfaces, respectively, an angle not greater than 90 so that relative displacement of said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented; and a connecting member for pressing: said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other.

11. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 10 wherein each of said legs has a pair of inner projections, wherein said lug stick means has two pairs of recesses receiving said inner projections, and wherein said connecting member is a bolt passing through said legs and through said lug stick means and located between said inner projec tions of each pair of projections.

12. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 10 wherein said connecting member is a bolt passing through said legs and through lug stick means, and wherein a projection of one of said legs is located on one side and a projection of the other leg is located on the other side of said bolt.

13. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 10 wherein said projections and recesses are aligned, and wherein said legs and a part of said lug stick means between said legs are formed with aligned bores, said bores passing through said projections; and wherein said connecting member is a bolt passing through said aligned bores.

14. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 10 wherein said projections and recesses are of rectangular cross sec tion.

15. A rocker arm joint for a loom comprising, in combination, a rocker arm having a hinge pin; a yoke means having legs; longitudinally extending lug stick means partly located between the legs of said yoke means and forming with the same a bearing-for said hinge pin, said yoke means and lug stick means having contacting surof said yoke means and lug stick means along said contacting surfaces by forces exerted by said hinge pin during rocking movement of said rocker arm is prevented and so that no transverse components of said forces act in outward directions on said legs; and a connecting member including a bolt passing through said thick end portions of said legs and through said lug stick means, and nut means on said bolt abutting one of said thick end portions for pressing said legs of said yoke means against said lug stick means so that said contacting surfaces abut each other whereby longitudinal forces are transmitted by said planar abutting faces and no shearing forces act on said bolt.

16. A rocker arm joint as set forth in claim 15 wherein said shoulders are inclined at acute angles to said contacting surfaces.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 191,116 Cooley May 22, 1877 353,240 Wild Nov. 23, 1886 941,844 Ayer Nov. 30, 1909 1,300,147 Eubanks Apr. 8, 1919 1,644,756 Stumpf Oct. 11, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS 634,171 France Feb. 10, 1928 

1. A ROCKER ARM JOINT FOR A LOOM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A ROCKER ARM HAVING A HINGE PIN; A YOKE MEANS HAVING LEGS; LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LUG STICK MEANS AND FORMLY LOCATED BETWEEN THE LEGS OF SAID YOKE MEANS AND FORMING WITH THE SAME A BEARING FOR SAID HINGE PIN, SAID YOKE MEANS AND LUG STICK MEANS HAVING CONTACTING SURFACES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID LUG STICK MEANS, SAID YOKE MEANS AND LUG STICK MEANS HAVING FACES TRANSVERSE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AND ABUTTING EACH OTHER, SAID ABUTTING FACES HAVING PARALLEL EDGES AND BEING SHAPED SO THAT A PLANE PASSING THROUGH SAID EDGES DEFINES WITH THE RESPECTIVE CONTACTING SURFACES AN ANGLE NOT EXCEEDING 90* SO THAT RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID YOKE MEANS AND LUG STICK MEANS ALONG SAID CONTACTING SURFACES BY FORCES EXERTED BY SAID HINGE PIN DURING ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID ROCKER ARM IS PREVENTED; AND A CONNECTING MEMBER FOR PRESSING SAID LEGS OF SAID YOKE MEANS AGAINST SAID LUG STICK MEANS SO THAT SAID CONTACTING SURFACES ABUT EACH OTHER. 